Bulkhead mounting and sealing arrangement for improved roller drive mechanism

ABSTRACT

A domestic clothes washer has an agitator in a nested pair of tubs. The inner tub is rotatable and the outer tub is generally fixed against rotation and adapted to contain water. The outer tub includes a bottom bulkhead having brackets welded thereon for supporting an improved roller drive agitating and spinning mechanism therebelow. The drive mechanism is completely preassembled so that seals and operation of the mechanism may be pretested before the mechanism is supported beneath the outer tub. A central opening in the bulkhead is large enough to receive in preassembled form from below the seals and operating portions of the preassembled mechanism which normally repose within the outer tub. A central boss on the bulkhead forms a pocket around the central opening for sandwiching an O-ring between the mechanism and the central opening to form a water seal. The boss also provides a guide surface for centering the drive mechanism.

United States Patent Slsson I451 Feb. 26, 1974 BULKHEAD MOUNTING AND SEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR IMPROVED ROLLER DRIVE MECHANISM [75] Inventor: Kenneth O. Sisson, Dayton, Ohio [73] Assignee: General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich.

[22] Filed: Nov. 13, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 305,947

[52] US. Cl. 68/23.7

[51] Int. Cl. [106i 23/04 [58] Field of Search... 68/23, 23.2, 23.3, 23.4, 23.5,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,158,815 5/1939 Bendix 68/184 3,152,463 10/1964 Sones et al 68/237 X 3,604,029 9/1971 Bain 68/13 R X Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Attorney, Agent, or FirmFrederick M. Ritchie 5 7 ABSTRACT A domestic clothes washer has an agitator in a nested pair of tubs. The inner tub is rotatable and the outer tub is generally fixed against rotation and adapted to contain water. The outer tub includes a bottom bulkhead having brackets welded thereon for supporting an improved roller drive agitating and spinning mechanism therebelow. The drive mechanism is completely preassembled so that seals and operation of the mechanism may be pretested before the mechanism is supported beneath the outer tub. A central opening in the bulkhead is large enough to receive in preassembled form from below the seals and operating portions of the preassembled mechanism which normally repose within the outer tub. A central boss on the bulkhead forms a pocket around the central opening for sandwiching an O-ring between the mechanism and the central opening to form a water seal. The boss also provides a guide surface for centering the drive mechanism.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures r 1 ,2 I 7 1 o o 0 0 0 it o o o o 00 ,2e I o o r o o o 0 0 0 00 I i oowooo o (100 ]i$ o o m o o o (O 00 i o 0 o) o if, 1-, C 0 e no I o o 0) o s 76 W I o 0 o 1 1 f I 7 1 i l 1 i m I 116 l 1!. 1-?

i 74 I i m! I i 1 52 N 1 i 1 Bl i [ii y :I-ni nmmooomw 1 A 1 w I 1 I 1 PAIENIEDFEBZSIHM SHEET 1 0F 3 BULKHEAD MOUNTING AND SEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR IMPROVED ROLLER DRIVE MECHANISM This invention relates to a domestic appliance and, more particularly, to an improved arrangement for mounting and sealing a preassembled drive mechanism directly to a clothes washer bulkhead.

In prior clothes washing art, agitating and spinning drive mechanisms are finally assembled along with the clothes washer. Final testing of such mechanisms is necessarily restricted to operation of the entire washer. If testing turns up a problem in the mechanism, a substantial tear-down of the clothes washer is required to repair the mechanism. This invention permits a completely preassembled and pretested drive mechanism to be attached to the bottom bulkhead of a clothes washer tub.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for attaching a completely preassembled roller drive agitating and spinning mechanism in a domestic clothes washer.

It is also an object of this invention to provide in a clothes washer a simpler and more stable mounting and sealing arrangement for an agitating and spinning mechanism which distributes stresses from spinning to widely spaced mounting brackets on the bottom bulkhead of the clothes washer tub and which sandwiches an O-ring between the mechanism and the bulkhead to form a watertight seal.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a central shouldered opening in the bottom of a clothes washer tub large enough to pass the seals and operating portions of a preassembled drive mechanism therethrough and wherein the shouldered opening sandwiches a tub seal between the tub bottom and the drive mechanism to contain water in the tub.

It is an advantage of structure in the last object that the drive mechanism may be removed from the clothes washer for repair of the mechanism without disassembling the clothes washer.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an agitating and spinning drive mechanism for a clothes washer tub wherein the mechanism is preassembled to include a running seal to keep water out of the mechanism and a static seal which cooperates with the tub to keep water in the tub.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, references being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a clothes washing machine, partly in elevation and with parts broken away to show a preassembled drive mechanism installed therein in accordance with the improved bulkhead mounting and sealing arrangement of this invention;

FIG. 2 is 'a perspective view of a completely preassembled roller drive agitating and spinning mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view partly in elevation taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side sectional view partly in elevation of the improved bulkhead mounting and sealing arrangement.

As the environment for this invention and with reference to FIG. 1, a domestic clothes washer is shown generally at 10. The washer includes a box-like sheet metal casing 12 having a top wall 14. The top wall has an access opening (not shown) through which clothes are loaded and unloaded.

The casing 12 is shown to enclose a nested tub assembly 24. The assembly includes an open top imperforate wall water container or outer tub 26 and a perforate wall spin basket or inner tub 28. Perforations are coextensive with the cylindrical sidewall of the spin basket. An annular plastic subtop 30 is sealingly clamped to the open top of the water container 26. The subtop circumscribes the open top of the water container and extends over a rim 33 forming the top opening of the spin basket 28 to define an access collar 36 between the access opening of the cabinet and the top opening of the spin basket.

The water container 26 and, thus, the tub assembly 24 is mounted on a suspension system shown generally at 40 and more fully taught in US. Pat. No. 3,493,1 l8, granted Feb. 3, 1970. The tub assembly includes an agitator 44 which with the spin basket 28 is connected to a drive mechanism shown generally at 50. The drive mechanism 50 is an improved form of a horizontal oscillation type roller-drive mechanism taught in copending application Ser. No. 232,175, filed Mar. 6, 1972, now US. Pat. No. 3,744,325 and commonly assigned with this application. In general, mechanism 50 may be operated by a reversible motor 52 in one manner to oscillate the agitator 44 for washing clothes in the tub assembly. When the mechanism is operated in another manner (motor 52 reversed), the spin basket 28 is rotated with respect to the water container 26 for centrifuging washing fluid from the clothes in the spin basket.

Drive mechanism 50 is best shown as a completely preassembled unit in the perspective view of FIG. 2. It includes a mechanism support 60 of die cast aluminum which provides the base to which the remaining components of the mechanism are assembled. Attachment arms 62, 64 and 66 extend laterally from the base for attaching the mechanism to the underside of the outer tub 26. v

More particularly, and with reference to FIG. 4, drive mechanism 50 includes an oscillatable drive shaft 70 and a rotatable spin drive shaft 72 concentric with the agitate drive shaft. Both shafts 70, 72 extend from, and are enclosed by, a housing portion 74 of the mechanism support. Housing portion 74 includes an attached mechanism guide and seal support 75 which is made of polypropylene to resist the corrosive action of washing agents. The extensions of these shafts are adapted for connection, respectively, with agitator 44 and spin basket 28. In this regard, agitator shaft 70 has attached on its upper end and keyed thereto a splined agitator driver 76 as a portion of the agitate drive shaft means. This driver interfits with a complementary socket or bottom opening 78 in the underside of agitator 44 and transmits the oscillations of agitator shaft 70 to the agitator.

The spin basket is adapted for connection wih drive mechanism 50 by means of a spin basket support 80. Support 80 extends through a central opening 81 in the spin basket and is fastened against relative rotation to the spin shaft by key 83. The tub support is then held on the upper end of spin shaft 72 by a nut 82 and thus becomes a portion of the spin drive shaft means. Spin basket 28 is then fastened to support 80 as by bolts 84 or othr suitable fastening means. Thus, support 80 transmits the rotations of spin shaft 72 to spin basket 28. Note that socket 78 and agitator driver 76 have a smaller diameter or dimension on a horizontal plane at their lateral extremes than central opening 81 in the spin basket. In one facet of this invention, such size relationship permits agitator driver 76 to pass through opening 81 as drive mechanism 50 is being installed from beneath outer tub 26.

Conventional water seal assemblies 88 and 90 are provided between relatively rotating parts in the mechanism 50 to make the mechanism watertight. Seal assembly 88 is between spin basket support 80 and agitator driver 76. It includes a lower seal portion 91 affixed to the top of the spin basket support and closing the top opening recess thereof to protect spin shaft nut 82. An upper seal portion 92 of seal assembly 88 is carried in a downwardly opening recess in the agitator driver 76 and includes a spring biased carbon seal which forms a running seal with the lower seal portion.

Water seal assembly 90 is between spin basket support 80 and housing portion 74 of the mechanism. It includes an upper carbon seal portion 92 in a recess on the underside of spin basket support 80. A lower seal portion 94 is carried on a shouldered recess 95 of the guide and seal support 75 and forms a watertight static connection therewith. The lower seal portion 94 is spring biased into engagement with carbon seal portion 92 to form a watertight running seal therewith.

A mechanism seal 96 in the form of a large O-ring of neoprene is carried on a peripheral flange 98 of seal support 75. The O-ring is formed from a hollow extruded tube approximately one-half inch in diameter. The open ends of the tube are cemented and the tube wrapped in a circle to form a ring having an internal diameter of substantially five and one-half inches.

From the foregoing, the preassembled drive mechanism 50 includes mechanism support 60 and its integral attachment arms 62, 64 and 66, agitate shaft 70 (including agitator driver 76), spin shaft 72 (including spin basket support 80), together with running seals 88 and 90 and static seal 96. Of course, drive mechanism 50 includes rollers, wheels and motion converting elements to selectively provide oscillation at agitator driver 76 and spinning at spin basket support 80. For additional details on these unnumbered components, reference may be had to the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 232,175 and to my copending application Ser. No. 305,948 filed Nov. 13, 1972.

In accordance with my invention, water container 26 includes a bottom wall or bulkhead 110. In the center of the bulkhead is a centrally drawn cup or boss 112 projecting upwardly from the bulkhead and having on the inside thereof an annular flange 113 defining a downwardly opening pocket 114 and an outer tub opening 116. Opening 116 is in axial alignment with opening 81 in spin basket 28. Pocket 114 contains ring 96 on the top and outboard side thereof so that the O-ring may be sandwiched between the annular bulkhead flange 113 and the peripheral seal support flange 98.

The inner cylindrical wall of boss 112 defines a guide surface 120 for the mechanism 50. The peripheral flange 98 extends laterally into lightly touching engagement with the guide surface 120 to center the drive mechanism with respect to the bulkhead, the spin basket, and the agitator when the mechanism is installed.

Drive mechanism 50 is supported directly from the underside of bulkhead 110. For this purpose, brackets 130, 132 and 134 are welded to the bottom of the bulkhead so the bulkhead need not be perforated. Bracket aligns with attachment arm 62 of mechanism 50 and connects thereto with suitable fastening means driven from below. In similar fashion, attachment arm 64 fastens to bracket 134 and attachment arm 66 fastens to bracket 132. After drive mechanism 50 is fastened to the brackets and, due to the asymmetrical relation of the brackets to the bulkhead, the mechanism is oriented with respect to drive motor 52. Belt 142 interconnects motor 52 to drive pulley 144 on mechanism 50.

The manufacturing assembly of drive mechanism 50 in clothes washer 10 will now be described. In accordance with the teachings of this invention, mechanism 50 can be completely pretested before assembly to determine that agitator driver 76 satisfactorily oscillates and spin basket support 80 satisfactorily rotates when the mechanism is selectively driven by a prime mover such as motor 52. Moreover, the pretest may include a check of the watertight capabilities of running seals 88 and 90. Thus, mechanism 50 may be completely pretested prior to the time it is attached to the bottom of the water container or outer tub 26.

Installation of mechanism 50 in clothes washer 10 is as follows. The agitator driver 76 and spin basket support 80 are inserted through outer tub opening 116 and the attachment arms 62, 64 and 66 fasten respectively to 130, 134 and 132 on the bottom of the bulkhead. This action will compress mechanism seal 96 into a sandwich formed between annular flange 113 on the bulkhead and peripheral flange 98 on the mechanism. Note that all portions of the preassembled drive mechanism intended for operation within the outer tub 26 are insertable through outer tub opening 116 which is larger in its dimensions along a horizontal plane than the laterally extreme dimensions of such mechanism portions.

The assembly of the clothes washer is complete when spin basket 28 is fastened to spin basket support 80 by bolts 84 and socket 78 of agitator 44 is fitted over agitator driver 76.

It should be seen that repairs to drive mechanism 50 are also facilitated by the teachings of this invention whereby the drive mechanism may be removed from the clothes washer simply by reversing the foregoing steps.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is:

1. In a domestic clothes washer, an outer tub having a bottom bulkhead adapted to contain washing fluid and having an outer tub opening, an inner tub nested within said outer tub in spaced relation thereto and adapted for rotation within said outer tub, said inner tub having a central inner tub opening in the bottom thereof, an agitator adapted for movement within said inner tub and having a socket in line with said central opening in the inner tub, an agitating and spinning mechanism including a static seal support adapted to close said outer tub opening, spin drive shaft means for rotating said inner tub and agitate drive shaft means concentric with said spin drive shaft means for moving said agitator, both of said drive shaft means extending through said bulkhead into said outer tub, running seal means between said spin drive shaft means and each of said static seal support and said agitate drive shaft means, and a drive motor for driving said mechanism, the invention comprising an arrangement for mounting and sealing the agitating and spinning mechanism in preassembled form beneath said outer tub, said arrangement comprising brackets welded to the outside of said bulkhead in asymmetrical relation thereto and a boss projecting from said bulkhead in the center thereof, said boss forming an outer tub opening in axial alignment with the central opening in said inner tub and the socket in said agitator, said boss having an annular flange portion forming a pocket around said outer tub opening and a cylindrical wall portion forming a guide surface for said mechanism, said mechanism having a mechanism support including extended attachment arms fastened to said brackets in one manner only due to said asymmetrical relation of the brackets to orient said mechanism with respect to said drive motor, said mechanism support including a housing portion enclosing both of said drive shaft means where said drive shaft means extend through said bulkhead into said outer tub and forming a peripheral seal support flange in juxtaposition to said annular flange on the boss to form two halves of a static seal sandwich, said seal support flange extending laterally to engage the guide surface of said boss for centering the agitate drive shaft means with respect to the agitator socket and the spin drive shaft means with respect to the inner tub opening thereby to facilitate the attachment of said inner tub at said central inner tub opening to said spin drive shaft means and the attachment of said agitator to said agitate drive shaft means, and a water seal ring between the annular flange portion of said pocket and the peripheral flange portion of said mechanism support to complete said seal sandwich by forming the center thereof when said mechanism is fastened to said brackets thereby to form a watertight static seal between said mechanism and said bulkhead, said outer tub opening having larger dimensions on a horizontal plane than said spin and agitate drive shaft means and said running seal means to facilitate the installation and removal of said mechanism as a preassembled unit to and from said bulkhead by permitting said spin and agitate drive shaft means and said running seal means to pass through said outer tub opening into said outer tub from beneath said bulkhead.

2. The mounting and sealing arrangement of claim 1 wherein said boss projects upwardly from said bulkhead so that the annular flange portion thereof forms a downwardly opening pocket and the cylindrical wall portion thereof forming the guide surface for said mechanism is on the inside of said boss.

3. A preassembled agitating and spinning drive mechanism for a clothes washer having nested inner and outer tubs and an agitator within said inner tub and wherein each of said outer tub, said inner tub, and said agitaor includes a bottom opening to receive respective portions of said drive mechanism when said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer, said drive mechanism having agitator drive shaft means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom openings in said outer and inner tubs adapted to drivingly interflt with the bottom opening in said agitator, said drive mechanism having spin drive shaft means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub but larger than the bottom opening in said inner tub and adapted thereby to form a driving interfit with said inner tub, said drive mechanism having static seal support means having dimensions larger in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub and adapted thereby to form with said outer tub one half of a static seal sandwich, and a static seal ring on said seal support means adapted to form the center of said static seal sandwich when said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer and said outer tub at the bottom opening thereof forms the other half of said static seal sandwich thereby to form a watertight jointure between said drive mechanism and the opening in said outer tub, said drive mechanism having running seal means between said spin shaft means and each of said agitator shaft means and said static seal support means to form watertight jointures thereat, said running seal means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub, thereby to accommodate the pretesting of the agitator and spin drive shaft means and said running seal means as preassembled portions of said drive mechanism before said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer.

4. A preassembled agitating and spinning drive mechanism for a clothes washer having nested inner and outer tubs and an agitator within said inner tub and wherein each of said outer tub, said inner tub, and said agitator includes a bottom opening to receive respective portions of said drive mechanism when said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer, said drive mechanism having agitator drive shaft means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom openings in said outer and inner tubs for easy passage therethrough and adapted to drivingly interfit with the bottom opening in said agitator, said drive mechanism having spin drive shaft means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub for easy passage therethrough but larger than the bottom opening in said inner tub for juxtaposition with inner tub portions around the bottom opening thereof and adapted thereby to form a bolted driving interfit with said inner tub, said drive mechanism including a mechanism support having static seal support means with dimensions larger in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub for juxtaposition with outer tub portions around the bottom opening thereof and adapted thereby to form with said outer tub one half of a static seal sandwich, and a static seal tubular ring on said seal support means adapted to form the center of said static sealsandwich when said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer and said outer tub at the bottom opening thereof forms the other half of said static seal sandwich thereby to form a watertight jointure between said drive mechanism and the opening in said outer tub, said drive mechanism having running seal means between said spin shaft means and each of said agitator shaft means and said static seal support means to form watertight jointures thereat, said running seal means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub, thereby to accommo- 8 5. The agitating and spinning drive mechanism of claim 4 wherein said static seal support means includes a peripheral flange for supporting said tubular ring, said flange adapted to extend into lightly touching engagement with said outer tub portions around the bottom opening thereof for centering said drive mechanism with respect to said outer tub. 

1. In a domestic clothes washer, an outer tub having a bottom bulkhead adapted to contain washing fluid and having an outer tub opening, an inner tub nested within said outer tub in spaced relation thereto and adapted for rotation within said outer tub, said inner tub having a central inner tub opening in the bottom thereof, an agitator adapted for movement within said inner tub and having a socket in line with said central opening in the inner tub, an agitating and spinning mechanism including a static seal support adapted to close said outer tub opening, spin drive shaft means for rotating said inner tub and agitate drive shaft means concentric with said spin drive shaft means for moving said agitator, both of said drive shaft means extending through said bulkhead into said outer tub, running seal means between said spin drive shaft means and each of said static seal support and said agitate drive shaft means, and a drive motor for driving said mechanism, the invention comprising an arrangement for mounting and sealing the agitating and spinning mechanism in preassembled form beneath said outer tub, said arrangement comprising brackets welded to the outside of said bulkhead in asymmetrical relation thereto and a boss projecting from said bulkhead in the center thereof, said boss forming an outer tub opening in axial alignment with the central opening in said inner tub and the socket in said agitator, said boss having an annular flange portion forming a pocket around said outer tub opening and a cylindrical wall portion forming a guide surface for said mechanism, said mechanism having a mechanism support including extended attachment arms fastened to said brackets in one manner only due to said asymmetrical relation of the brackets to orient said mechanism with respect to said drive motor, said mechanism suppoRt including a housing portion enclosing both of said drive shaft means where said drive shaft means extend through said bulkhead into said outer tub and forming a peripheral seal support flange in juxtaposition to said annular flange on the boss to form two halves of a static seal sandwich, said seal support flange extending laterally to engage the guide surface of said boss for centering the agitate drive shaft means with respect to the agitator socket and the spin drive shaft means with respect to the inner tub opening thereby to facilitate the attachment of said inner tub at said central inner tub opening to said spin drive shaft means and the attachment of said agitator to said agitate drive shaft means, and a water seal ring between the annular flange portion of said pocket and the peripheral flange portion of said mechanism support to complete said seal sandwich by forming the center thereof when said mechanism is fastened to said brackets thereby to form a watertight static seal between said mechanism and said bulkhead, said outer tub opening having larger dimensions on a horizontal plane than said spin and agitate drive shaft means and said running seal means to facilitate the installation and removal of said mechanism as a preassembled unit to and from said bulkhead by permitting said spin and agitate drive shaft means and said running seal means to pass through said outer tub opening into said outer tub from beneath said bulkhead.
 2. The mounting and sealing arrangement of claim 1 wherein said boss projects upwardly from said bulkhead so that the annular flange portion thereof forms a downwardly opening pocket and the cylindrical wall portion thereof forming the guide surface for said mechanism is on the inside of said boss.
 3. A preassembled agitating and spinning drive mechanism for a clothes washer having nested inner and outer tubs and an agitator within said inner tub and wherein each of said outer tub, said inner tub, and said agitaor includes a bottom opening to receive respective portions of said drive mechanism when said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer, said drive mechanism having agitator drive shaft means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom openings in said outer and inner tubs adapted to drivingly interfit with the bottom opening in said agitator, said drive mechanism having spin drive shaft means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub but larger than the bottom opening in said inner tub and adapted thereby to form a driving interfit with said inner tub, said drive mechanism having static seal support means having dimensions larger in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub and adapted thereby to form with said outer tub one half of a static seal sandwich, and a static seal ring on said seal support means adapted to form the center of said static seal sandwich when said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer and said outer tub at the bottom opening thereof forms the other half of said static seal sandwich thereby to form a watertight jointure between said drive mechanism and the opening in said outer tub, said drive mechanism having running seal means between said spin shaft means and each of said agitator shaft means and said static seal support means to form watertight jointures thereat, said running seal means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub, thereby to accommodate the pretesting of the agitator and spin drive shaft means and said running seal means as preassembled portions of said drive mechanism before said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer.
 4. A preassembled agitating and spinning drive mechanism for a clothes washer having nested inner and outer tubs and an agitator within said inner tub and wherein each of said outer tub, said inner tub, and said agitator includes a bottom opening to Receive respective portions of said drive mechanism when said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer, said drive mechanism having agitator drive shaft means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom openings in said outer and inner tubs for easy passage therethrough and adapted to drivingly interfit with the bottom opening in said agitator, said drive mechanism having spin drive shaft means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub for easy passage therethrough but larger than the bottom opening in said inner tub for juxtaposition with inner tub portions around the bottom opening thereof and adapted thereby to form a bolted driving interfit with said inner tub, said drive mechanism including a mechanism support having static seal support means with dimensions larger in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub for juxtaposition with outer tub portions around the bottom opening thereof and adapted thereby to form with said outer tub one half of a static seal sandwich, and a static seal tubular ring on said seal support means adapted to form the center of said static seal sandwich when said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer and said outer tub at the bottom opening thereof forms the other half of said static seal sandwich thereby to form a watertight jointure between said drive mechanism and the opening in said outer tub, said drive mechanism having running seal means between said spin shaft means and each of said agitator shaft means and said static seal support means to form watertight jointures thereat, said running seal means having laterally extreme dimensions smaller in a horizontal plane than the bottom opening in said outer tub, thereby to accommodate the pretesting of the agitator and spin drive shaft means and said running seal means as preassembled portions of said drive mechanism before said drive mechanism is installed in said clothes washer, said agitating and spinning drive mechanism having three attachment arms extending laterally from said mechanism support below said seal support means for attachment to the bottom wall of said outer tub.
 5. The agitating and spinning drive mechanism of claim 4 wherein said static seal support means includes a peripheral flange for supporting said tubular ring, said flange adapted to extend into lightly touching engagement with said outer tub portions around the bottom opening thereof for centering said drive mechanism with respect to said outer tub. 